| The Archives holds the official records created by all parts of state government from 1629 to the present. The earliest material is found in the [http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arccol/colmac.htm Massachusetts Archives Collection]. Common resources for genealogists and historians detailed in their [http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcgen/genidx.htm online guide] are state vital records (starting in 1841), passenger lists, census, military records, the [[Suffolk County, Massachusetts#Suffolk_Files|Suffolk Files]], naturalizations, divorces, probate, name changes, adoptions, [[Suffolk County, Massachusetts#Land_Records_and_Atlases|Suffolk Deeds]], and many other records.<br>{{anchor&#124;mac}}-----<br>The Massachusetts Archives Collection contains 328 volumes about early Massachusetts history (1629-1799). It is also called the Felt Collection. Rev. Joseph Felt organized most of the collection in the 1830s; the last third was added in the late nineteenth century. Most of the collection is available on microfilm.<br>

+

| The Archives holds the official records created by all parts of state government from 1629 to the present. The earliest material is found in the [http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arccol/colmac.htm Massachusetts Archives Collection]. Common resources for genealogists and historians detailed in their [http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcgen/genidx.htm online guide] are state vital records (starting in 1841), passenger lists, census, military records, the [[Suffolk County, Massachusetts#Suffolk_Files|Suffolk Files]], naturalizations, divorces, probate, name changes, adoptions, [[Suffolk County, Massachusetts#Land_Records_and_Atlases|Suffolk Deeds]], and many other records.<br>{{anchor|mac}}-----<br>The Massachusetts Archives Collection contains 328 volumes about early Massachusetts history (1629-1799). It is also called the Felt Collection. Rev. Joseph Felt organized most of the collection in the 1830s; the last third was added in the late nineteenth century. Most of the collection is available on microfilm.<br>

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*Volumes 1-239 on {{FHL&#124;1055547&#124;item&#124;disp=FHL film 2294195 (1st of 184)}}.<br>

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*Volumes 1-239 on {{FHL|1055547|item|disp=FHL film 2294195 (1st of 184)}}.<br>

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*Volumes 240-328 on {{FHL&#124;1050952&#124;item&#124;disp=FHL film 2318834 (1st of 74)}}.<br>

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*Volumes 240-328 on {{FHL|1050952|item|disp=FHL film 2318834 (1st of 74)}}.<br>

Several finding aids are available to help locate records of interest.<br>

Several finding aids are available to help locate records of interest.<br>

*View the card index on {{FHL&#124;285054&#124;item&#124;disp=FHL film 543878 (1st of 57)}}.<br>

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*View the card index on {{FHL|285054|item|disp=FHL film 543878 (1st of 57)}}.<br>

*Tables of content and name indexes are available for many of the volumes.<br>

*Tables of content and name indexes are available for many of the volumes.<br>

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| This archive was established in 1995 and documents the Massachusetts National Guard organized in 1636 and the archives of the Office of the Adjutant General that includes Massachusetts military records from 1775 to 1940. Researchers should call at least one day in advance for a free appointment.

| This archive was established in 1995 and documents the Massachusetts National Guard organized in 1636 and the archives of the Office of the Adjutant General that includes Massachusetts military records from 1775 to 1940. Researchers should call at least one day in advance for a free appointment.

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=== Libraries and Societies ===

=== Libraries and Societies ===

Revision as of 19:39, 11 September 2013

This is a genealogical and historical guide to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its state-level records. You will find help with state vital records, histories, church archives, newspaper collections, genealogical libraries, understanding the court system, military records, and immigration and naturalization records.

Massachusetts History

Brief History

This region of New England was home to many Algonquian-speaking Indians. They had been visited by British and other European countries' fishermen for more than a century before the first permanent European settlement. Not long before this first settlement began, the native population was decimated by a European-borne disease, likely smallpox, that left many of their villages empty. The Separatist Pilgrims were the first to arrive in 1620 to establish Plymouth Colony at Plymouth. There were several early and later attempts for settlement up the coast into Maine (which would be part of Massachusetts until statehood in 1820). The second permanent settlement was by Puritans who arrived in 1629 to establish the Massachusetts Bay Colony at Salem.

These two colonies coexisted for many years, but geography and politics were on the side of the Massachusetts Bay. The Royal Province of New Hampshire was created in 1680 that separated the District of Maine off from the center of population of the colony now firmly established at Boston. The British colonies developed more independent practices regarding trade, religion, and governance. King Charles II finally rescinded the charter for Massachusetts Bay in 1684. This action was implemented by King James II. The colony continued as it was until Sir Edmund Andros arrived to become the Royal Governor of the newly created Dominion of New England effectively in 1686. This united the colonies of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth. Soon New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Haven, New York, and New Jersey would be added to the Dominion with the government seated at Boston. Andros quickly moved to take away most liberties colonists enjoyed and thus his rule was extremely unpopular. When King James II was overthrown in late 1688 by William and Mary, colonist at Boston overthrew Andros and his administration there in 1689. For lack of guidance by England, the colonies resumed their previous form of governments through 1691.

The next major geo-political event was the merger of the Massachusetts Bay and the Plymouth Colony into the newly rechartered Royal Province of Massachusetts Bay in 1691 that began its new government under Sir William Phips in 1692. The territory included what is Maine and the Elizabeth, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket Islands (the islands removed from the control of New York). Major border disputes were settled as follows: New Hampshire (1740), Rhode Island (1746 - succeeded towns of Barrington, Bristol, Little Compton, Tiverton, Warren, and the newly created Cumberland to R.I.), Connecticut (1749 - succeeded towns of Enfield, Somers, Suffield, and Woodstock to Conn.), New York (1773 - twenty miles west of the Hudson; 1853 - Boston Corners section of Mount Washington to N.Y.), and Maine (1820 - succeeded as new state in Missouri Compromise).

Historical Data

Border changes

Dates

Events

10 Apr. 1606

The Plymouth Company granted between 38°N (near Md.-Va. border) and 45°N (near Me.-N.B. border) which overlapped with the Virginia Company of London below 41°N (near Conn.-N.Y. border). After a failed attempt to colonize at the Popham Colony near present-day Phippsburg, Me., in 1607 (the settlers all left one year later), the patent fell into disuse. The London Company was re-chartered in 1609 for exclusive use up to 41°N.

The Plymouth Council for New England granted a royal patent for land between 34°N and 45°N. Plymouth Colony settled at Plymouth in that year, though not initiated by the Council.

1 June 1621

The Pilgrims acquired a new land patent for the settlement they created at Plymouth.

10 Aug. 1622

The Council granted a patent for the Province of Maine to Ferdinando Gorges and John Mason that covered between the Merrimack and Kennebec rivers. The men agreed to split this patent and Mason received the portion south of the Piscataqua River on 17 Nov. 1629 in a grant. This grant was reconfirmed on 3 Feb. 1634/5. Gorges obtained a royal charter for his portion in 1639.

in 1624

The Council established a fishing village at present-day Gloucester financed and governed by the Dorchester Company. The Company withdrew their support at the end of 1625. A few settlers remained and eventually moved further south.

in 1628

The Council created the "New England Company for a Plantation in Massachusetts Bay" (commonly called the Massachusetts Bay Colony) was established at Salem first with the remaining settlers from the Dorchester Company and 100 new settlers. This grant was for the land between the Charles and Merrimack rivers with a buffer of three miles above and below these borders. In 1629, 300 more settlers were sent to Salem. Concerned about the conflict in land claims, this group sought a royal charter for the colony which it received on 18 Mar. 1628/9. The shareholders decided to move the board to the colony (a first in the North American colonies), and the majority of the shareholders bought out those who did not want to emigrate. They elected John Winthrop to be the Governor of the new colony.

13 Jan. 1629/30

The Charter of New Plymouth defined the colony as east of Narragansett Bay and south from the mouth of the Pawtucket River [now Blackstone River] to the mouth of the Cohasset River.

26 June 1630

The Council for New England patented the Province of Lygonia, being southwest of the Sagadahoc River [now Kennebec River] 40 miles long and 40 miles wide.

7 June 1635

The Plymouth Council for New England surrendered its charter to the King. Basically, all land outside of Massachusetts Bay was under the authority of the Crown.

3 Apr. 1639

King Charles I granted the Province of Maine to Ferinando Gorges as a proprietary colony that included the land between the Kennebec and Piscataqua Rivers inland 120 miles plus the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Thomas Gorges, a distant relative of Ferdinando Gorges, established a government there in 1640, creating counties, and conducting the colony until its annexation by Massachusetts Bay in 1652.

14 June 1641

New Hampshire voluntarily accepted the jurisdiction of Massachusetts Bay since the dissolution of the Council for New England and the death of John Mason.

in Oct. 1641

Thomas Mayhew, father and son, of Watertown purchased the title to Nantucket Island, Martha's Vineyard, and the Elizabeth Islands from Lord Stirling and Ferdinando Gorges. These islands were not part of the Massachusetts Bay.

in 1642

The southern boundary west for Massachusetts Bay was set per the charter of 1629/30 as 3 miles south of the Charles River thus defining the border between it and the colonies of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

27 Aug. 1645

For its participation in the Pequot War (1636-1637), Massachusetts Bay claimed the land between the Thames and Pawcautck Rivers plus Block Island. It tried to secure a patent for this area but was deemed invalid.

in Mar. 1646/7

Lygonia gained the overlapping territory with Maine and reduced Maine to a few settlements.

26 May 1652

Massachusetts Bay interpreted their 1628/9 charter's northern line as 43° 40' 12" North claiming from the Casco Bay in Maine west through central New Hampshire and Vermont to the New York border.

20 Nov. 1652

Using the interpretation above, Massachusetts Bay established Yorkshire County covering the land between the Piscataqua and Kennebec Rivers thus eliminating the Province of Lygonia. This county went into abeyance in Nov. 1664, reinstated as York County on 27 May 1668, eliminated by the creation of the District of Maine on 17 Mar. 1679/80, and reinstated again under the new Massachusetts Bay royal charter of 7 Oct. 1691.

18 Sept. 1658

The Commissioners of the United Colonies of New England settle the border dispute over the Pequot Country settling the border between Connecticut and Massachusetts Bay as the Mystic River, thus leaving Massachusetts Bay with a claim to land between the Mystic and Pawcatuck Rivers. Massachusetts Bay gave up its claim to this land and also Block Island on 19 Oct. 1664.

23 Apr. 1662

King Charles II grant a charter to Connecticut that gave its eastern border as the Narragansett Bay, eliminating the claim by Massachusetts Bay and overlapping with Rhode Island's patent.

7 May 1662

Massachusetts Bay created Hampshire County out of unregulated area being roughly the center of present-day Worcester County west to the New York border, being all territory within 30 miles of the settlements of Springfield, Northampton, and Hadley.

8 July 1663

King Charles II granted Rhode Island a new charter that moved present-day Cumberland, R.I., out of Massachusetts Bay and some eastern lands out of New Plymouth, but these lines seemed not enforced. New Plymouth protested the infringement of its patent. A royal commission set this boundary as the Blackstone River and the east side of Narragansett Bay pending a royal decision on 27 Feb. 1664/5. The same commission made the Narragansett Country a separate entity ending Connecticut's claim, but having Rhode Island govern the area on 8 Apr. 1665.

12 Mar. 1663/4

King Charles II granted the Duke of York all land between the Delaware and Connecticut Rivers; the islands of Long Island, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket; and the land between the Kennebec and St. Croix Rivers inland to the St. Lawrence River. In the fall of 1664, royal commissioners arbitrated the conflict with this grant and suggested the border between New York and Massachusetts Bay as 20 miles east of the Hudson River. Though never codified, this was the generally accepted border.

23 June 1665

Royal commissioners placed Ferdinando Gorges' land under royal authority.

5 Sept. 1665

New York created Cornwall County covering all the land between the Kennebec and St. Croix Rivers.

19 May 1669

The town of Westfield was laid out extending into "the jog" south of the colony line.

7 Oct. 1673

Massachusetts claimed an area east of the Kennebec River that included the Pemaquid settlement later named this Devonshire County on 27 May 1675, but this county ceased when the war with the Abnaki Indians in that area broke out in Sept. 1675.

3 June 1674

Massachusetts Bay created the town of Suffield that now lies wholly within Connecticut.

15 Mar. 1677/8

Massachusetts Bay purchased the grant made to Ferdinando Gorges from him.

18 Sept. 1679

New Hampshire made a royal colony separate from Massachusetts Bay. Old Norfolk County was dissolved and the towns of Amesbury, Haverhill, and Salisbury added to Essex County of Massachusetts Bay.

16 May 1683

Massachusetts Bay created the town of Enfield that now lies wholly within Connecticut.

1 Nov. 1683

New York created Dukes County that included Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and the Elizabeth Islands until a new royal charter gave these islands to Massachusetts Bay on 7 Oct. 1691. The latter created the new Dukes County for Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands and Nantucket County for Nantucket on 22 June 1695. On this day, New York also recreated Cornwall County in Maine.

18 June 1684

The High Court of Chancery of England cancelled the Charter of 1629 for Massachusetts Bay. This places Massachusetts Bay and Maine under royal authority, though in practice nothing changed until the governor arrived on 17 May 1686.

17 May 168618 Apr. 1689

The Dominion of New England was established as the first royal govern arrived bringing together Massachusetts Bay, Maine, and the Narragansett Country. New Plymouth and the Pemaquid Country was added on 20 Dec. 1686. New York (thus eliminating Cornwall County) and New Jersey were added on 1 Apr. 1687. King James II was overthrown on 18 Apr. 1689 by King William III and Queen Mary II in England and Bostonians imprisoned the royal government and others to end this consolidation in North America. Previously forms of government resumed.

15 Mar. 1689/90

Massachusetts Bay created the town of Woodstock that now lies wholly within Connecticut.

7 Oct. 1691

The new Charter of Massachusetts Bay issued that included land between 40°N and 48°N. - explicitly stating this being all of the former Colony of Massachusetts Bay, territory called New Plymouth, territory called the Province of Maine, and the territory between the Sagadahoc River and Nova Scotia, and specifically excluded the charter to John Mason now in the hands of Samuel Allen of London, merchant (i.e. New Hampshire) and the colonies of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and the Narragansett Country. Also included were the Isles of Cappawock (i.e. The Elizabeth Islands) and Nantucket (which seemingly included Martha's Vineyard).

1 Mar. 1691/2

A royal governor was sent to New Hampshire effectively separating it from Massachusetts Bay, but did not further define its borders beyond the 1679 charter.

22 June 1695

Massachusetts Bay established Dukes County for Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands and Nantucket County for Nantucket Island.

20 Sept. 1697

The Treaty of Ryswick ending the King William's War between England and France transferred Acadia to France and separating it from Massachusetts Bay. The formal transfer followed after the Treaty of Utrecht on 15 Apr. 1713 and ended the nominal jurisdiction over Acadia [Nova Scotia].

13 July 1713

Connecticut and Massachusetts Bay accepted a 1702 survey that confirmed the line between them (the current line minus the jogs) and gave Massachusetts Bay jurisdiction over the border towns of Enfield, Suffield, and Woodstock.

26 June 1716

The jurisdiction of York County extended east beyond the Kennebec River to the St. Croix River, though never defining the northern limit.

5 Aug. 1740

King George II settled the border dispute between Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire for the latter being up the Piscataqua and Salmon Falls Rivers due north 120 miles or to the end of the colony and 3 miles north of the Merricmack River to Pautucket Falls [now in Lowell, Mass.], then straight west and these are the borders in effect today.

28 May 1746

King George II decided (and implemented on 17 Feb. 1746/7) the border between Massachusetts Bay and Rhode Island so that Massachusetts Bay lost the Attleborough Gore [present-day Cumberland, R.I.] and a 3-mile strip of land on the east side of Narragansett Bay starting at the head of the bay.

In May 1749

Connecticut annexed the Massachusetts Bay towns of Enfield, Somers [created from Enfield], Suffield, and Woodstock. Note that the line was now straight except for the "Southwick jog" that exists to this day.

7 Oct. 1763

When the new royal province of Quebec was created with its southern border being the watershed between the St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic Ocean, the northern border of Cumberland, Lincoln, and York counties was established.

18 May 1773

Massachusetts Bay and New York agreed that their boundary was a straight line roughly parallel to being 20 miles east of the Hudson River - in accordance with the informal agreement of 1664.

In 1774

Connecticut took over a small part of land of Southwick that extended below the 1713 provincial boundary.

3 Sept. 1783

The Treaty of Paris defined the northern boundary as the watershed between the St. Croix River and the Atlantic Ocean.

24 Nov. 1817

By the Treaty of Ghent, islands in the Passamadquoddy Bay being Moose, Dudley [now Treat], and Frederick [now Dudley] were assigned to the United States and made part of Washington Co., Me.

15 Mar. 1820

Maine was set off as an independent state as part of the Missouri Compromise.

3 Nov. 1826

There was a slight straightening of the border between northeastern Connecticut and Massachusetts.

11 Jan. 1855

Boston Corners, the southwestern corner of Berkshire County, annexed to New York.

1 Mar. 1862

Implementation of the U.S. Supreme Court settlement of the boundary between Bristol County and that of neighboring Rhode Island.

Counties

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is divided into fourteen counties. It is there that most court and land records are found. The most of the other commonly used records will be at the town level. Use the guide below to link to the county you want:

Old Norfolk, 1643-1680, which was all that north of the Merrimack River and south of the Piscataqua River being then the settled part of what became the royal province of New Hampshire in 1680 (except for roughly two to three miles above the Merrimack River).

Dominion of New England, 1686-1689, a brief consolidation of several British Colonies into one that was very unpopular and it collapsed.

Maine, records for this region called the District of Maine with counties of its own will all be found under Maine. Only high court and legislative records will be found under their Massachusetts headings.

Non-town names:

This is a list of archaic community, district, neighborhood section, and village names in Massachusetts that will not have a page on this wiki but are important to know their location.

Histories and Genealogies

This is a lengthy and detailed list of books and articles relating to general topics for Massachusetts. The focus was on books published before 1995, so newer books are welcome additions to this list. The bibliography is divided into several topical groups plus a general section.

William Brigham, The Compact with the Charter and Laws of the Colony of New Plymouth: Together with the charter of the Council at Plymouth and an Appendix (Boston, 1836), x, 357 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.Digital versions at Internet Archive or Google Books.

Samuel F. Haven, ed., Records of the Company, from 1628 to 1641, as contained in the first volume of the archives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Cambridge, Mass., 1850), cxxxviii, 107 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.

William Henry Whitmore, The Massachusetts Civil List for the Colonial and Provincial Periods, 1630-1774, being a list of the names and dates of appointment of all the civil officers constituted by authority of the charters, or the local government (Albany, N.Y., 1870), 172 pp.Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.WorldCat (Other Libraries) (many other editions); FHL book 974.4 N2w (1969 ed., also digital version cataloged separately).

Charles Francis Adams, Three Episodes in Massachusetts History: the settlement of Boston Bay; the Antinomian controversy; a study of church and town government (Boston, 1892), 2v.Digital versions at Internet Archive (v. 1 and v. 2) and Google Books (v. 1 and v. 2)WorldCat (Other Libraries) (1892 ed.); Not at FHL.

Walter Spooner Allen, Street Railways; development of street railways in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ([New Bedford, Mass., 1899?]), 26 pp.Digital version at Hathi Trust.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

The Andros Tracts: being a collection of pamphlets and official papers issued during the period between the overthrow of the Andros government and the establishment of the second charter of Massachusetts (Boston, 1868-1874), 3v.Digital versions at Internet Archive (v. 1, v. 2, and v. 3) and Google Books (v. 1, v. 2, and v. 3).WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Foy Spencer Baldwin, "Early Evolution of the Public School in Massachusetts" in New England Magazine, New Ser., 34 [1906]: 424-431.No digital version availableWorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

James M. Banner Jr., To the Hartford Convention: the Federalists and the Origins of Party Politics in Massachusetts, 1789-1815 (New York, 1970), xiii, 378 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Charles Edward Banks, The Winthrop Fleet of 1630: an account of the vessels, the voyage, the passengers and their English homes, from original authorities (Boston, 1930; rep. many times), ix, 118 pp.Digital version at Ancestry ($).WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.4 W2b.

John Warner Barber, Historical Collections, being a general collection of interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes &c., relating to the history and antiquities of every town in Massachusetts, with geographical descriptions (Worcester, Mass., 1839), viii, 624 pp.Digital version at Internet Archive (1844 ed.) and Google Books.WorldCat (Other Libraries) (plus other editions); FHL book 974.4 H2b (more editions available).

Pierre Belliveau, French Neutrals in Massachusetts; the story of Acadians rounded up by soldiers from Massachusetts and their captivity in the Bay Province, 1755-1766 (Boston, 1972), xiv, 259 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

George Ernest Bowman, The Mayflower Compact and its Signers, with facsimiles and a list of the Mayflower Passengers, 1620-1920 (Boston, 1920), 19 pp.Digital version at Internet Archive.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Daughters of the American Revolution, Massachusetts, Genealogical Records Collection, FHL film 859313 (first of 39), filmed complete in 1971, but series has continued. This important collection includes transcripts of many Bible, cemetery, church, obituary, and other records of individuals born about 1700–1900. This collection is being indexed nationally by the headquarters. To search the DAR Genealogical Research System for the GRC content, click on Massachusetts and conduct your search. For more information on this index, see the overview of the national index and/or the list of volumes included.

John Demos, A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony (New York, 1970), xvi, 201 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries) (several other editions); Not at FHL.

Charles Henry James Douglas, The Financial History of Massachusetts, from the organization of the Massachusetts Bay Company to the American Revolution (New York, 1892; 2nd ed., 1897), 148 pp.Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books (both 1892 ed.).WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

George Edward Ellis, The Puritan Age and Rule in the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay, 1629-1685 (Boston, 1888; 3rd ed., 1891), xix, 576 pp.Digital version at Internet Archive (1888 ed.).WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Allan W. Forbes, "Apprenticeship in Massachusetts, its early importance and later neglect" in Worcester Historical Society Publications, New Ser., 2 [1936-1943]: 5-25.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

George E. Gay, comp., Origin and Organization of the Normal Schools in Massachusetts (Boston, 1900), 130 pp.No digital version available.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

William Prescott Greenlaw, The Greenlaw Index of the New England Historic Genealogical Society (Boston, 1979), 2v.This is an index to many local histories and genealogies published between 1900 and about 1940.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974 D22g.

Frederick F. Harling, "The Indians of Eastern Massachusetts 1620-1645" in Historical Journal of Western Massachusetts, 1 [1972]: 28-36.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

George Lee Haskins, "The Beginning of the Recording System in Massachusetts" [i.e. deeds, mortgages, etc.] in Boston University Law Review, 21 [1941]: 281-304.Digital version at HeinOnline ($).WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Joseph Hunter, Collections Concerning the Church or Congregation of Protestant Separatists formed at Scrooby in North Nottinghamshire, in the time of King James I: the Founders of New-Plymouth, the parent-colony of New-England (London, 1854), xiv, 205 pp.Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Edward Alfred Jones, The Loyalists of Massachusetts, their Memorials, Petitions and Claims (London, 1930), xxiv, 341 pp.Digital version for searches only at Hathi Trust.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

George D. Langdon Jr., "Bibliographic Essay [on published and manuscript sources for the study of Plymouth Colony in the seventeenth century]" in Occasional Papers in Old Colony Studies, 1 [1969]: 41-50.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Douglas Edward Leach, "The Military System of Plymouth Colony" in New England Quarterly, 24 [1951]: 342-364.Digital version at Jstor ($).WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Stewart Mitchell, ed., "The Founding of Massachusetts: a selection from the sources of the history of the settlement, 1628-1631" (Boston, 1930), 211 pp.Reprint from the Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, v. 62 [1929].Digital version limited to search at Hathi Trust.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.4 C4p v. 62.

Maurice Robbins, "Indians of the Old Colony: their relation with and their contributions to the settlement of the area" in Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society, 17 [1955-1956]: 59-74.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Lyman Horace Weeks and Edwin M. Bacon, eds., An Historical Digest of the Provincial Press; being a collation of all items of personal and historic reference relating to American affairs ... Massachusetts series, volume one [no more published] (Boston, 1911), xiii, 564 pp.Digital version at University of Alberta.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.4 H2wL.

George Findlay Willison, ed., The Pilgrim Reader; the story of the Pilgrims as told by themselves & their contemporaries, friendly & unfriendly (Garden City, N.Y., 1953), xvii, 585 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Massachusetts Genealogy Records

Vital Records

The original vital record resides in the town or city where the event occurred (in colonial times, a family group of birth can include events from other towns). The recording of these records was ordered by the government as early as 1639, though not all places followed the law. Both Massachusetts Bay Colony and Plymouth Colony started to collect these records in a central location, but the practice died out by the mid-17th Century. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts was the first state to create a permanent, statewide recording system starting in 1841. It is notable that the city of Boston lagged behind in reporting to the state and its records do not show up in the state system until a tougher regulation was implemented in 1850 (though the city did record these records locally). The only vital records closed to the public are the original births of amended records and those can be opened by a judge.

The original record still is found with the clerk of the town or city. All these records back to the earliest settlement of a town can always be viewed at the town or city clerk’s office. Most all town and city vital records have been microfilmed by the Family History Library and microfiched by the Holbrook Research Institute of Oxford, Mass. [now Archive Publishing of Provo, Utah]. This tends to be the most complete record of the event. Since 1841, there should be a second copy with the state and sometimes has abbreviated information from the original. This second copy is the most widely available source for researchers. It has been preserved by the same two vendors listed above and can be found on online in a variety of places and forms as listed below.

Before 1900, a few towns started publishing their own vital records in book form. The records were usually re-arranged into alphabetical order but separated by births, marriages, and deaths. Church and private records were added to get a more complete record and were clearly noted. The Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants published a few of these volumes along with the Systematic History Fund (a state fund); Essex Institute in Salem; Topsfield Historical Society, and others. The greatest number were published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston, in part from their Eddy Town-Record Fund. About two-thirds of the state (roughly 236 towns) has been published from the original town records and a few still are being released today. To learn more about this state publication project, see the article on The Publication of Vital Records of Massachusetts Towns written in 1919. Check the Mass. Town Pre-1850 Published Vital Records Guide for a listing of the towns published up to 2011. There are links to some online versions below. A search in Google will reveal many town / region specific sites that have reproduced the volumes online or pdf versions available for downloading.

The Early Vital Records of Massachusetts website transcribes each page and links it to an image of original of the original page. As of May 2013, Plymouth County was only partially done and Suffolk County had not been started. The rest of the towns across the state were there. Click on the Town tab to get a list of towns by county.

Frederic William Bailey, comp., Early Massachusetts Marriages Prior to 1800 (New Haven, Conn., 1897-1914, in 7v.; rep. Baltimore, 1968+).Digital version for Vol. 1 (Worcester Co.) only at Internet Archive or Google Books.Berkshire Genealogist Indexing Committee, Master Index to Early Massachusetts Marriages (Pittsfield, Mass., 1996), 131 leaves, is a single, full-name index to the series of seven volumes.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts was the first state to create statewide vital records in the modern sense starting in 1841. It is notable that the city of Boston lagged behind reporting to the state and its records do not show up at the state until about 1850 (though the city maintained its own records before then). The original state records are held by:

Visitors can make their own copies from the microfilmed copies or request certified copies per their rules. The archives only has the amended records up to v. 42 (1900). They have an online index to the records for 1841 to 1910 that is searchable for first name, last name, town, start year, end year, and type of record. Note that this is exact spelling searches only. Records can be ordered by email. No more than five requests per order and they are billed with your photocopies.

The NEHGS has two online databases at their American Ancestors website for 1841 to 1910 and 1911 to 1915. You must be a member of the Society to access these indexes and the actual records which are linked from this index. The records are searchable in the same manner as the Mass. Archives above, though the last name can be searched by Soundex. If you go to the library, there are book indexes in five-year blocks for births, 1900-1950, marriages, 1900-1955, 1966-1970, and deaths, 1900-1980. They also have the amended birth records indexes for to 1929 (1 v.) [going back to 1841], to 1944 (2 v.), to 1962 (3 v.), to 1965 (1 v.), and to 1968 (1 v.). These indexes beyond 1920 are not generally available elsewhere.

This site has the statewide vital records index, 1841-1895 that is searchable, but also browsable in its original form: separate birth, marriage, and death with separate indexes for each five-year period.

This office only makes certified copies of vital records. There are several ways to purchases copies both online and in person. This office also has the amended birth records after v. 42 (1900) and a statewide index to divorces from 1952 to the present (though the record itself will be with the probate court). There is a computerized index for the most recent records and five-year block indexes for births, marriages, and deaths onsite.

Every five years, another block of five years is transferred to the State Archives and at the same time is made available through the New England Historic Genealogical Society and to the Family History Library. This office restricts access only by the fact that they are the only ones with the records. These records are open to the public. The original town copies are always open to the public.

Divorce records have been handled by the probate court system since 1922 and commonly filed where the couple last lived together. These are public records (with minor exceptions). There is a statewide index that starts in 1952 at the Registry listed above. Before that, the county Superior Court had jurisdiction. From 1786 to 1887, all cases were administered through the Supreme Judicial Court. All these records are held at the Judicial Archives in the Mass. Archives facility. The earliest divorce records are scattered through a variety of courts who held joint jurisdiction.

The Supreme Judicial Court created a fact sheet for the public in 2004 and the summary of it is below:

Dates

Description

1639-1692

Divorce petitions were filed in a variety of courts, including the county courts, the General Court, and the Court of Assistants. Records of the General Court and the Court of Assistants have been published. The Original records are available in the Suffolk Files Collection, the Massachusetts Archives Collection, and in the county courts.

1692-1775

Divorces were heard by the Governor and Council (from 1755 to 1757, six petitions were heard by the General Court). The original records are found in the Massachusetts Archives Collection, Suffolk Files Collection, and the county courts.

1775-1785

The Council had jurisdiction then. Search for them in the Massachusetts Archives Collection and the Council records.

1785-1796

The Massachusetts Acts and Resolves granted jurisdiction over divorce to the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC). These original records are in the Suffolk Files Collection. Check the microfilm "county index" in the Archives reading room. They will refer to various SJC Record Books. See the chart below for these record books.

1796-1887

The divorce will be in the Supreme Judicial Court in the county in which the couple was residing. Most of the Record Books are indexed (see location chart below). These records will have a summary of the grounds for divorce, date and place of marriage, where the couple lived until the divorce, and sometimes the names and ages of the children. The file papers are generally in the year and term that the divorce was finalized (i.e. six months after it was granted) and arranged by docket (case) number. Post 1860 file papers are in off-site storage. See the Judicial Archivist for information to see these records.

1887

Jurisdiction over divorces was moved to the Superior Court. These records are indexed chronologically in separate divorce docket books. The Judicial Archives (in the same building with the Mass. Archives) has divorce indexes and/or docket books on microfilm in the Archives reading room for all counties except for Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties. Those are in their respective Superior Court.

1922

The Probate and Family Court began hearing divorce concurrently with the Superior, though most came to this court. Each probate court kept alphabetical indexes to these records. There is a statewide index since 1952 at the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics (listed above).

For the location of the records, use the chart below that was created by the Supreme Judicial Court Archives in 2004:

Location of Massachusetts Divorce Records

County

Supreme Judicial Court

SJC Microfilm

Superior Court

SC Microfilm

Barnstable

All records in courthouse

n/a

n/a

n/a

Berkshire

SJC Record Books in the Judicial Archives and microfilm available at the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield

n/a

SC records and index card file in Judicial Archives

1888-1927 in Archives Reading Room

Bristol

SJC Record Books in the Judicial Archives

1862-1889 in Archives Reading Room

SC Divorce dockets in the Judicial Archives. The file papers in the Superior Court, Taunton

Divorce Dockets in Archives Reading Room

Dukes

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Essex

SJC Record Books in courthouse, Salem, and file papers in off-site storage. A consolidated index, 1785-1904, on microfilm in Archives Reading Room

Like most all states, Massachusetts seals the records of adoption that include the original birth certificate with the biological parents. These records stay sealed unless opened by court order. Who can see this sealed information is limited by law. There is no way a person can know they are adopted without being told by someone. There are several registries online set up to assist adoptees and biological parents help find each other. To order your pre-adoption birth certificate, download the instructions and form.

To learn more about the history of adoption in Massachusetts, see Joseph Ben-Or, "The Law of Adoption in the United States: Its Massachusetts Origins and the Statute of 1851" in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 130 [1976]: 259-269, and online at American Ancestors ($).

Robert Rene Kuczynski, "The Registration Laws in the Colonies of Massachusetts Bay and New Plymouth" in American Statistical Association Publications, 7 [1900-1901]: 65-73.Digital version at Jstor (free).WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Chester F. Sanger, "The Divorce Legislation of Massachusetts" in Bay State Monthly, 3 [1885]: 27-32.Digital version at Bookmate, page 68 of this file, or as a text file at Gutenberg, search text for title.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Land Records

The earliest settlers in this region were issued patents or charters directly or through various types of companies established for settlement and/or trade. See the Historical Data table to identify these early documents. Once the two major colonies were settled (i.e. Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts Bay Colony), land was distributed by their colonial governments through grants. Massachusetts Bay Colony established a county system in 1643 and land was recorded in the county deeds from then on. Plymouth Colony used a centralized system and recorded these deeds colony-wide from 1620 to 1685 until it finally established a county system in 1685. The land records for the area now called Maine were always kept separately first entirely as was later was called York County. For each of these areas, land was granted for many years after the initial settlement as the colony expanded into uncharted territory given to it under the various patents and charters. All subsequent sales were recorded by the county. Though the vast majority of land transactions were recorded, it was not a requirement that this be done. It was in the best interest of the owner to do so, and legal advantages were given to such recordings. To search for land records, see the guide for the county of interest and use the resources found there.

For counties with online records, the "recorded land" is what is microfilmed and constitutes the majority of the records. There are "registered land" deeds that go through land court. These are deeds are court approved as having clear title (i.e. no encumbrances). It you do not find anything in the first section, always search registered land for deeds since 1899.

Court System

Understanding the Massachusetts Court System

This is the history of the court system. It is broken up into historical periods and then a discussion of special courts, records, legal definitions, and bibliography. Realize that except for the upper courts, all records and actions were on the county level. To find detailed information regarding a particular county's courts, see that county page from the links provided above.

The Peirce Patent was a charter from the Virginia Company issued to the Merchant Adventurers in 1620 for the settlement of the Pilgrims in the northerly part of the Virginia territory. This patent was never in use because the Pilgrims settled outside this territory. Thus, the adult male passengers created the document they called a “combination” and now called the “Mayflower Compact” to give a governance structure to the Plymouth settlement. The Second Peirce Patent was issued in 1621 from the Council for New England for the area they settled. The Bradford Patent of 1629 (of “purchasers”) gave the settlers legal status as residents, but did not create a basis for laws as royal charters would did for other colonies.

Though having no legal authority to do so, but in the best interest of the settlers, the “combination” was an agreement of the adult males of the settlement to establish a “civil body politic” and make just laws, acts, etc. for the general good of the colony. From this single act, the group elected a governor and several assistants to govern them (though we do not have knowledge of how that was decided). On 17 December 1623 (but recorded in 1627), the first order of the Court was that all criminal acts, matters of trespass, and debts between men would be tried by a jury of twelve honest men. Historians have determined that they cobbled together Common Law and filled it in with Mosaic Law. The laws were first codified in 1636 and revised in 1658, 1672, and 1685.

By 1636, the Governor and seven Assistants were elected annually by the freemen of the colony for the term of one year according to the former custom and that constables and other inferior officers also were chosen. The Governor, Board of Assistants (being seven freemen of the colony), and the freemen of the colony met quarterly as the General Court (1623-1692). They functioned as the legislature and court. They heard capital cases of treason, rebellion, willful murder, conversing with the devil by way of witchcraft, burning of ships or houses, sodomy, rapes, and buggery. The Magistrate Court (1623?-1692) heard cases of fornication, swearing, lying, stealing, embezzling, drunkenness, gaming, lascivious carriage, burning fences, defacing boundary markers, using tobacco, setting fires in the woods, forgery, stealing public records, denying the Scriptures as the rule of life, being absent from church, and keeping the Sabbath. The Court of Assistants (1623-1692) was the meeting of the Governor and at least two Assistants and handled all cases under £40 penalty.

County Courts (1685-1692) were established when the counties were created following the model of Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The Charter of 1629 issued by the King established the General Court (1629-1692) that met quarterly to make, ordain, and establish all manner of wholesome and reasonable orders, laws, statutes, and ordinances, directions, and instructions not contrary to the laws of England and to settle the forms and ceremonies of government and magistracy fit and necessary so that the people may be religiously, peaceably, and civilly governed. All the freemen met and acted as the General Court. The court chose annually the governor, deputy government, and eighteen assistants who acted as the Court of Assistants (1630-1692) when the General Court was not in session and with its full authority to correct, punish, pardon, govern, and rule. Members of the Assistants were given the powers of Justices of the Peace and called Magistrates. These magistrates could hear civil suits under than 20 shilling (increased to 40 shillings in 1647) and handle misdemeanors such of profanity or drunkenness in their own towns.

The Inferior Quarter Courts were established in 1639 as a circuit county court composed of the county magistrates where the court was sitting with a jury in Ipswich, Salem, Cambridge (Newtown), and Boston. This court took over all the cases of the Court of Assistants except those with damages over £10, divorce, and cases of life, member, and banishment. These courts were renamed County Court (1636-1692).

This three-tiered system was in place throughout the colonial period. It focused on the magistrates who controlled the legal affairs. When they sat alone in their town, they handled all the minor cases for the town. The more serious cases rose to the level where all the magistrates of the county sat together with a jury to decide the cases. The most serious issues were handled the eighteen magistrates assembled together (called the “Assistants”) with the Governor and Deputy Governor, or with the freemen of the colony, to pass judgment on the major cases of the day.

The charter of Massachusetts Bay was revoked in 1684 by King Charles II who tried to reign in this theocratically ruled colony while also streamlining the administration of several other nearby colonies. Initially, the Dominion comprised Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth Colony, Province of New Hampshire, Province of Maine, and the Narragansett Country of present-day Washington Co., R.I. Formal change did not occur until 1686 with the arrival of Joseph Dudley in Boston and the assent of King James II. Dudley added the colonies of Connecticut and Rhode Island before Edmund Andros arrived at the end of the year. Andros attempted to design Dominion laws to more closely mirror those in England. By 1688, Andros added the provinces of New York, East Jersey, and West Jersey to the Dominion though governance of these areas was weak because the distance from the seat at Boston was too great even with a satellite office in New York City. King James II was overthrown in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. This news traveled back to Boston where the local mob jailed Andros in April of 1689 which officially ended the Dominion.

During this period, the General Court was abolished and the Court of Assistants replaced by a Governor and Council (1686-1689) appointed by the Crown. A Superior Court of Judicature (1686-1689) was established as the highest authority. The County Court was split between the Court of Common Pleas for civil cases and the Court of General Sessions for criminal cases. Magistrates were replaced by Justices of the Peace with the same powers. All this ended in April of 1689 and the former colonies and provinces returned to their former structure until new royal charters were issued in 1692.

In 1692, the General Court was restored as the legislative body with jurisdiction over all of Massachusetts Bay Colony (that comprised present-day Massachusetts and Maine). The province maintained the three-tiered court system. It immediately established the Governor and Council (1692-1780) that had authority over divorce and probate appeals. The Superior Court of Judicature (1692-1780) was the highest appellate (i.e. appeals court) and the trial court for capital criminal cases, civil cases over £10, and some equity matters. It was a circuit court moving between counties with a grand jury and at times two trial juries.

The county Court of General Sessions (1692-1827) heard all criminal cases before a bench of justices of the peace. They also had authority over county affairs (levying taxes, highways, licenses for liquor, jails, and administration of poor laws). Its partner, the Inferior Court of Common Pleas (1692-1859), heard the civil cases of the county. These courts met quarterly and handled no cases under £40 unless it was on appeal from the lower court. The lowest court was the Justice of the Peace (1687-present) and these justices were appointed by the governor. The justices heard criminal cases (drunkenness, rioting, and violations of Sabbath) and civil cases under £40. This court sat in the justice’s house where he kept the minutes and collected the fines. Defendants appeared by summons via the county sheriff or town constable.

Note that though there were interruptions on the courts sitting in Boston in 1775 and 1776, the court’s jurisdiction and process remained unchanged.

The Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 created a separation of powers and allowed that the other branches may require an opinion from the Supreme Judicial Court on questions of law. This was one of the few instances where advisory jurisdiction was given in the country and is found nowhere at the federal level. The highest courts from other states needing to rule on a Massachusetts state law that had not been previous rendered could send the question to the court for their ruling. Judges for the Supreme Judicial Court were allowed to hold their office as long as they “behaved themselves” and all current appointments prior to the Constitution were continued thus keeping the legal authority of this court from its establishment as the Superior Court of Judicature in 1692, but renaming it as the Supreme Judicial Court (1780-present). Its jurisdiction was codified in 1782 as taking cases by appeal, writ of error, capital offenses, and “every Crime whatsoever that is against the public good” [St.1782, c.9].

Divorce was moved from under the Governor and Council to the Supreme Judicial Court in 1785 [St.1785, c.69]. The court continued as a circuit court, sitting in various counties by mandate of the legislature. To this point, all records were recorded and maintained by the clerk in Boston (Suffolk County). Starting in 1797, the records were recorded in the county the court sat by the clerk of that county’s Court of Common Pleas (being made a clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court for that county when the court was in session there). The exception to that rule was that Suffolk County recorded the sessions held in Nantucket County; Barnstable County recorded the sessions held in Dukes County; and Lincoln County recorded the sessions for Lincoln, Hancock, and Washington counties. [St.1796, c.95]

There were two sessions of the court. One heard capital offenses, appeals from probate, and all issues in law that were tried by three or more judges (the number of judges varied over the years between four and seven) and the other heard all other actions (i.e. cases not being appealed by a lower court) and was tried by a single judge that was subject to review by the whole court. This was also the year that the Reports of Supreme Judicial Court started publishing annually [St.1804, c.105]. This practice of taking actions not on appeal was called nisi prius (Latin for “unless first”), meaning it became the court of original jurisdiction. A second trial on the facts on appeal to this court was abolished in 1817. The legislature clarified the jurisdiction between the Supreme Judicial Court and the then statewide Court of Common Pleas in 1840 [St.1840, c.87] that remained in effect until the reorganization of the court system in 1859.

The changes in 1859 did not affect this court as the streamlining generally reshaped the lower courts. Over time, the Supreme Judicial Court’s focus was narrowed (see Menand’s book, pages 39 to 41, cited in the references). Divorce was removed to a lower court in 1887 [St.1887, c.332]. An Appeals Court (1972-present) was added with the Supreme Judicial Court to help with the backlog of cases and covers all the state, but normally sits in Boston [St.1972, c.740]. The Supreme Judicial Court is the superintendent over all inferior courts and maintains full authority over all court records.

The middle tier courts continued to function as before the Constitution. Specific jurisdictions shifted back and forth between the two middle-tier courts. Boston and Suffolk County developed a separate court system in this tier. In 1799, the Municipal Court of the Town of Boston (1799-1859) had been given authority over all criminal cases in Boston [St.1799, c.81] and renamed the Municipal Court of the City of Boston in 1822 [St.1822, c.13]. The Boston Court of Common Pleas (1813-1820) was created to handle all civil case that would have gone to the Suffolk County Court of Common Pleas in 1813 [St.1813, c.173]. After Maine separated from the Commonwealth in 1820, the Circuit Court of Common Pleas and the Boston Court of Common Pleas was replaced by a Court of Common Pleas for the Commonwealth (1820-1859) that heard both civil and criminal cases [St.1820, c.79]. The Court of General Sessions was phased out and by 1827 ceased to exist in all counties. A Superior Court for Suffolk County (1855-1859) was established in 1855 to handle all civil cases in that county [St.1855, c.449].

This entire system was reorganized in 1859 and born out of this was the new Superior Court (1859-present) that combined the powers of all the previous courts into one. The court sat four, instead of two, times to accommodate both the criminal and civil case load. There were tweaks to this system along the way. The major changes were bringing general equity jurisdiction to the court in 1883 [St.1883, c.223], having Middlesex and Suffolk counties keep a separate docket for this in 1892 [St.1892, c.439 – though changed with uniform civil procedures in 1974], and the court having exclusive original jurisdiction over capital crimes in 1891 [St.1891, c.379]. See Menand’s book, pages 53 to 57, for further details on jurisdiction changes and description of the Appellate Division (1943-present) and the court reorganization in 1978.

The lowest court as discussed above was the Justice of the Peace. The powers established in 1687 were continually eroded away and now they only have the authority to perform marriages, acknowledgements (i.e. notary), administer certain oaths, take depositions, and call meetings of various proprietor groups and corporations. These were technically court records though the justice sat in their own dwelling, the records often passed off as personal papers that are commonly found in historical societies and university libraries. The Boston Police Court (1821-1866) was established as the first police court in the Commonwealth with the authority of the Court of Commons Pleas for the Commonwealth in Suffolk County [St.1821, c.79 and St.1822, c.109]. More such police courts were created starting in 1831 with separate parameters for each of them. In every instance, the police court exclusively assumed most of the powers from the Justice of the Peace. Criminal cases were removed from the justices in 1856 [St.1856, c.138] and civil cases in 1877 [St.1877, c.211].

The court reorganization of 1859 standardized the work and function of the police courts. The District Court concept started in Berkshire County with the District Court of Central Berkshire that had jurisdiction over Pittsfield and seven adjacent towns with the powers of a police court centralized over a larger area [St. 1869, c. 416]. The rest of Berkshire County was divided into two more districts in the following year and this style of the lowest court spread across the Commonwealth. By 1921, the remaining thirteen police courts were renamed and the establishment of the District Court (1921-present) was solidified and uniform across the entire Commonwealth [G.L.1921, c.218]. These courts had jurisdiction over crimes punishable by jail sentences up to five years and some felony crimes up to ten years, and some juvenile matters where Juvenile Courts did not exist. They shared responsibility over probate matters involving children. The court sat for small claims and civil actions where the plaintiff did not wish to have a jury trial. An Appellate Division (1922-present) was added for civil actions.

The Massachusetts court system has maintained a three-tiered system for most of history. As the case load of special area grew, the Commonwealth created special courts for these cases while preserving the basic structure.

These maritime cases were first heard by the Court of Assistants in Massachusetts Bay Colony. Under the second charter in 1692, this court was pulled out as a separate civil law court with judges appointed by the King and not part of the provincial court system. During the Revolution and after, this court was established in Plymouth, Ipswich, and North Yarmouth. These courts ceased with the adoption of the federal constitution in 1786 and these matters transferred to the new U.S. District Court. The records of these courts are part of the Suffolk Files Collection.

Appointed coroners along with a jury made inquests on deaths and reported their findings to the County Court. After the second charter in 1692, the findings were reported to the Court of Assize and the Court of General Sessions.

Though basically a district court, it is administered separately [St.1866, c.279]. It is the heir of the Boston Police Court (1821-1866) which met daily for criminal cases and bi-weekly for civil cases. The jurisdiction extends over all of Suffolk County for certain cases (see Menand’s book, pages 71 to 73, cited in the references). An Appellate Division was created in 1912 [St.1912, c.649]. With the court reorganization of 1978, it became the Boston Municipal Court Department of the Trial Court [St.1978, c.478].

This type of court case has always been present and the records reach back unbroken to the settlement of the two colonies, but it was first the County Court and then the Governor and Council who handled probate cases. The Constitution of 1780 mentioned probate judges, but the legislature codified the scope as the probate of wills, administration of estates, and appointment of guardians for minor and “distracted persons” [St.1783, c.46]. It is a court of equity, not common law, and provides remedies. Because of legislation, the probate courts have added jurisdiction over adoption (1851), divorce (1887/1922), change of name (1854), and domestic relations. Marriage was never based in common law in Massachusetts and was performed by magistrates. As such, it has always been a civil contract. The Royal Charter allowed for marriages to be performed by justices of the peace or by a settled minister in 1692 [P.L.1692-3, c.25], but it remained a contract. All issues relating to marriage are handled by the probate court, such as women’s petitions for separate estates, annulment, and affirmation of marriages. The names of this court have evolved from Probate Court (1783-1858) and that had an Insolvency Court (1856-1858). These two combined to be called the Probate and Insolvency (1858-1978). The court reorganization in 1978 renamed it to Probate and Family Court (1978-present).

The Court of Registration (1898-1900) was legislated to register title of land to deal with real and personal property (generally of deceased persons) while simplifying land transfers [St.1898, c.562]. The name was changed to the Court of Land Registration (1900-1904) and then the present Land Court in 1904. The court normal sits in Boston, but can sit in other locations and covers the entire Commonwealth. The court oversees foreclosures, redemption from tax titles, recovery of freehold estates, petitions to try, and determines the validity of encumbrances and discharges of mortgage. It has authority over interest in real estate and petitions to determine boundaries of flats, county, city, town, or districts, can enforce restrictions, and validate municipal zoning ordinances and bylaws. Appeals from zoning board decisions are handled here.

Children were identified as a special class tracing back to 1641 in Massachusetts Bay Colony. The probate wing of a court first handled children and then these family matters fell under the Probate Court. The first specialized court was the Boston Juvenile Court (1906). Young offenders were to be treated as children in need of aid, not as a criminal. A delinquent child was defined as between seven and seventeen years who violated a town ordinate or committed an offense not punishable by death or life imprisonment. Courts have been since been opened in Springfield (1969), Worcester (1969), and New Bedford (1972). These courts were reorganized in 1978 as the Juvenile Court Department.

Matters relating to State Sanitary Code, building regulation and inspection, fire precaution, rubbish disposal, landlord and tenant disputes, and any other law concerning health, safety, or welfare of any occupant of any place of human habitation are handled by District Courts. A Boston Housing Court (1971), Hampden County Court (1973), and Worcester Housing Court (1983) [to which Bellingham was added in 1985] were created for these areas. They are now all divisions of the Housing Court Department of the Trial Court.

The records from the above courts are reviewed on the Massachusetts, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony, and appropriate county pages. All records are under the authority and control of the Supreme Judicial Court.

The court records have three general types of records: docket books, record books, and file papers. Docket books for civil actions outline the actions heard by the court in chronological order. Cases are routinely continued to another term of the court. In criminal cases, these books are called minute books. Record books are summaries made at the end of a case about the plaintiff, defendant, the action, damages sought, and the history of the case. The file papers are the original documents submitted to the court. There are rarely more than a few documents in the case before the nineteenth century. All documents provide an insight into the case, but genealogists tend to look for the summaries, depositions from witnesses (to learn more about the witness more than the parties to the case), and warnings out.

14: may dispose of goods and personal estate by will, though not of land until 21. They are generally not punishable for crimes, but must pay damages for trespass. They may be witnesses in any court action or function, and in some ages give evidence by age 9.

21: full age to contract and manage for themselves, and can be executor of a will before this time. They can be a member of Parliament.

A person becomes of age at the end of the day preceding the day of their birth. A minor person may purchase something, but arriving at 21 can disagree to it. Age Prier is an action being brought against a person under age for lands which he has by descent. He may petition the court to stay the action until he is of full age (21) to which a court general agrees, but this does not hold for if the minor is the purchaser of the land.

Robert N. Toppan, “Council Records of Massachusetts under the Administration of President Joseph Dudley” in Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 2nd Series, 13 [1899]: 237-268.Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

David Grayson Allen, In English Ways: The Movement of societies and the transferal of English local law and custom to Massachusetts Bay in the Seventeenth Century (Chapel Hill, N.C., 1981), xxi, 312 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.4 H6a.

Thomas E. Atkinson, "The Development of the Massachusetts Probate System" in Michigan Law Review, 42 [1943-1944]: 425-452.Digital versions at [www.jstor.org/stable/1283518 Jstor] ($) or HeinOnline ($).WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Viola F. Barnes, The Dominion of New England, a study in British Colonial Policy (New Haven, Conn., 1923), viii, 303 pp..WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.

Zechariah Chafee Jr., “Colonial Courts and the Common Law” in David F. Flaherty, ed., Essays in the History of Early American Law (Chapel Hill, N.C., 1969), x, 534 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.

James Deetz and Patricia Scott Deetz, The Times of Their Lives: Life, Love, and Death in Plymouth Colony (New York, 2000), xvi, 366 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.

Alan J. Dimond, The Superior Court of Massachusetts: Its Origin and Development (Boston, 1960), xii, 187 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.

James Smith Garland, Massachusetts Town Law; a digest of statutes and decisions concerning towns and town officers ... (Boston, 1908), iv, 226 pp.Digital version of 1906 edition at Internet Archive.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Julius Goebel Jr., “King’s Law and Local Custom in Seventeenth Century New England” in David F. Flaherty, ed., Essays in the History of Early American Law (Chapel Hill, N.C., 1969), x, 534 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.Julius Goebel, "King's Law and Local Custom in Seventeenth-Century New England" [for Plymouth Colony] in the Columbia Law Review, 31 [1931]: 416-448.Digital version at Jstor ($)..WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

George Lee Haskins, "The Beginning of the Recording System in Massachusetts" [i.e. deeds, morgages, etc.] in Boston University Law Review, 21 [1941]: 281-304.Digital version at HeinOnline ($).WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

George L. Haskins, Law and Authority in Early Massachusetts: A Study in Tradition and Design (New York, 1960), xvi, 298 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.

George L. Haskins, “Reception of the Common Law in Seventeenth Century Massachusetts: A Case Study” in George Althan Billias, ed., Law and Authority in Colonial America (Barre, Mass., 1965), xxi, 208 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.

George L. Haskins, “The Legal Heritage of Plymouth Colony” in David F. Flaherty, ed., Essays in the History of Early American Law (Chapel Hill, N.C., 1969), x, 534 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.

George L. Haskins, “The Beginnings of Partible Inheritance in the American Colonies” in David F. Flaherty, ed., Essays in the History of Early American Law (Chapel Hill, N.C., 1969), x, 534 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.

Mark de Wolfe Howe and Louis F. Eaton, "The Supreme Judicial Power in the Colony of Massachusetts" in New England Quarterly, 20 [1947]: 291-316.Digital version at Jstor ($).WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Albert Mason, "A Short History of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts" in Massachusetts Law Quarterly, 2 [1916-1917]: 82-100.Digital version at Google Books.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

William E. Nelson, Americanization of the Common Law: The Impact of Legal Change in Massachusetts Society, 1760-1830 (Cambridge, Mass., 1975), ix, 269 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.

John Noble, “A Few Notes on Admiralty Jurisdiction in the Colony and in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay” in the Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, 8 [1905]: 3-38 and Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts: Transactions, 1902-1904, 8 [1906]: 150-186.Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL film 844521.

Russell K. Osgood, ed., The History of the Law in Massachusetts: The Supreme Judicial Court 1692-1992 (Boston, 1992), 790 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); not at FHL.

George E. Pearson, "The Great and General Court of Massachusetts, 1628-1691: A Study of its Early History with Special Reference to its Organization," Ph.D. Dissertation, Tufts Univ., 1910, viii, 116 pp.No digital version.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

George E. Pearson, "Origin of the Massachusetts General Court" in New England Magazine, 54 [1915-1916]: 33-38.No digital version.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Census

State Census

The first census was taken in 1765. It enumerated statistically the number of houses, families, and people who were categorized under white males, white females (each with the number above and below age 16), Negro and Mulatto, Indians (each with the number of males and females), and French Neutrals (male and female, both above and below age 16). The town tallies were published at the end of Benton's book listed below.

The Provincial Congress needing to raise funds in 1775 determined it should be done by the population of the colonies. By an act on 16 Feb. 1776, the General Court of Massachusetts ordered a census to be taken to include the name of the heads of each family, number of white people, number of Negroes and Mulattoes, and the whole number within each family. These returned were to be submitted by each town.

The Congress again wanted an enumeration in 1781, but that resulted in creating estimates based on the current polls at the time. The Congress requested another census on 17 Feb. 1783 and Massachusetts responded in 1784 for an "accurate account of the quantity of land within this Commonwealth granted to, or surveyed for, any person, the number of buildings thereon, and of its inhabitants." Returns by town were to be made to the Secretary of the Commonwealth as of 1 Sept. 1784.

Massachusetts took two censuses in 1837 - one of inhabitants and the other of ratable polls. In 1840, the Commonwealth elected to take their own census along with the one the Federal government was doing. The state count was roughly 20,000 less than the Federal tally for 1840 and 1850. The Commonwealth started its own decennial census in 1855 and these continued through 1975. The only surviving schedules are for 1855 and 1865, and returns for 1915. The Legislature decided to change the basis of representation in the state from inhabitants to legal voters in 1857. At the same time, they repealed the duplicate state census they conducted along side the Federal census. The provision for legal voters was repealed in 1860 and that tally was done in conjunction with the decennial censuses of the state on the fifth year.

For 1855, the census recorded every person by name in the household, age, sex, color, occupation, place of birth, and whether a person was deaf, dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict. Enumerators in twenty-two (22) towns listed the exact place of birth. These towns are:Abington, Andover, Brimfield, Brookline, Carlisle, Dennis, Enfield, Harwich, Holland, Ipswich, Marshfield, New Ashford, North Attleboro, Pembroke, Provinctown, Shutesbury, Wayland, Wellfleet, Westport, Wilmington, and Yarmouth.These records are available online at FamilySearch as Massachusetts, State Census, 1855.

Josiah Henry Benton, Early Census Making in Massachusetts, 1643-1765, with a reproduction of the lost census of 1765 (recently found) and documents relating thereto (Boston, 1905), 104 pp.Digital versions at Internet Archive or Google Books.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

William H. Dumont, "A Short Census of Massachusetts - 1779" in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, 49: 14-20, 96-100, 137-141; 50: 26-28, 207-214; 51: 44-48.This is included because of the title, but it should be noted that this is not a census.

Samuel Abbott Green, "The First Census of Massachusetts" [i.e. 1765] in Publications of the American Statistical Association, New Ser., 2 [1890-1891]: 182-185.Digital version at Jstor (free).WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

The library does not hold any Massachusetts church records, but they have Hall's Index Database that will list all the churches by town and give some historical data.

Roman Catholic

Archives of the Archdiocese of Boston66 Brooks Dr.Braintree MA 02184617-746-5795website

This diocese serves Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Suffolk Counties. There are online guides to parish establishments, church and cemetery records held by the archives, and other resources from their main page.

This diocese serves Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes and Nantucket Counties. This Archives collects, organizes, and preserves records, documents and memorabilia of the Diocese for administrative and historical purposes, but is not open to the general public.

"Complete List of the Congregational and Presbyterian Ministers in Massachusetts from the settlement of the colonies of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay to the present time" [Note: Only covers Suffolk and Berkshire counties] in American Quarterly Register, 7 [1834-1835]: 28-38.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

B. B. Edwards, "Complete List of the Congregational Ministers in the Old County of Hampshire, Ms. (including the present counties of Hampshire, Franklin, Hampden) from the first settlement to the present times" in American Quarterly Register, 10 [1837-1838]: 260-276, 379-407.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Edward Midwinter, "The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and the Church in the American Colonies, III: Massachusetts" in Historical Magazine of the Protestant Episcopal Church, 4 [1935]: 100-115.No digital version found.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

"Complete List of the Congregational and Presbyterian Ministers in Massachusetts from the settlement of the colonies of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay to the present time" [Note: Only covers Suffolk and Berkshire counties] in American Quarterly Register, 7 [1834-1835]: 28-38.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

James Sullivan, One Hundred Years of Progress; a graphic, historical, and pictorial account of the Catholic Church of New England: Archdiocese of Boston (Boston, 1895), 842 pp.Digital version at Internet Archive.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Unitarian:

George Madison Bodge, Historical Sketch of the Norfolk Conference of Unitarian and other Christian Churches ... with brief sketches of the churches now belonging to the conference and lists of their ministers ... ([Randolph, Mass.?], 1900), 48 pp.Digital version at Internet Archive.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

George Edward Ellis, A Half-Century of the Unitarian Controversy, with particular reference to its origin, its course, and its prominent subjects among the Congregationalists of Massachusetts (Boston, 1857), xxiv, 511 pp.Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Frederick Lewis Weir, "Early Records of the Seventeenth-century Churches in Massachusetts which became Unitarian" in The Proceedings of the Unitarian Historical Society, 7, Pt. 2 [1941]: 11-22.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Conrad Wright, "Unitarian Beginnings in Western Massachusetts" in The Proceedings of the Unitarian Historical Society, 21: 2 [1989]: 27-40.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

David H. MacPherson, "The Massachusetts Universalist Convention" in Annual Journal of the Universalist Historical Society, 6 [1966]: 5-24.About the decline of Universalism, 1900-1950.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Russell E. Miller, The Larger Hope, The First Century of the Universalist Church in America, 1770-1870 (Boston, 1979), 2 v.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Military

With the first permanent settlement at Plymouth, militias were formed to protect the early settlers. The most famous is the Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts Bay established in 1637. This guide is an overview, war-by-war, of histories and published records for those who served. There were other skirmishes of a lesser degree not listed here. To learn about the myriad involvements, consult the wikipedia entry for United States Wars.

George Alfred Raikes, The History of the Honourable Artillery Company (London, 1878), 2v. (For Mass., see 1: 324-365, 453-459; 2: 436-473).Digital versions at Hathi Trust and Google Books (v. 1 and v.2).WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Zachariah Gardner Whitman, The History of the Massachusetts Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company from its formation in 1637 ... to the present time (Boston, 1820; 2nd ed., 1842), iv, 463 pp.Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

George M. Bodge, Soldiers in King Philip's War; being a critical account of that war, with a concise history of the Indian wars of New England from 1620-1677, official lists of the soldiers of Massachusetts colony serving in Philip's war, and sketches of the principal officers, copies of ancient documents and records relating to the war, also lists of the Narragansett grantees of the United colonies, Massachusetts, Plymouth and Connecticut (Leominster, Mass., 2nd ed., 1896; rep. Baltimore, 1967+), xiii, 502 pp.Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974 M2b.

William F. Ricketson, "To Be Young, Poor, and Alone: The Experiences of Widowhood in the Massachusetts Bay Colony" in New England Quarterly, 64 [1991]: 113-127.Based on a sampling of women, widowed in the King Philip's War, who petitioned the legislature.Digital version at Jstor ($).WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Benjamin Doolittle, A Short Narrative of Mischief Done by the French and Indian Enemy, on the western frontiers of the province of Massachusetts-Bay (Boston, 1750; rep. New York, 1909), 27 pp.No digital version found.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

William M. Fowler, Empires at War: the French and Indian War and the Struggle for North America, 1754-1763 (New York, 2005), xxv, 332 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Peter Wilson Coldham, American Migrations, 1765-1799: the lives, times, and families of colonial Americans who remained loyal to the British crown before, during, and after the Revolutionary War, as related in their own words and through their correspondence (Baltimore, 2000), xii, 931 pp.Digital version at Ancestry ($).WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 973 D3cam (with digital link).

Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War. A compilation from the archives (Boston, 1896-1908), 17v.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.4 M23m v.# or film 238343 (1st of 17) or fiche 6046890.Note: Entries are under the exact spelling in the record; therefore, always look for variant spellings. The most common spelling with have an entry listing all the other variants found in the records.Digital database with all volumes found at Ancestry ($). Select the digital link for individual volumes from the table below.

Index to Selected Final Pension Payment Vouchers, 1818-1864, Records, NARA HMS A1 722 (not microfilmed except for Delaware and Georgia), and Index NARA HMS A1 722A (not microfilmed).Index slips for the selected (pulled) from the pension agents' accounts by the NARA staff that was the final payment to an individual and cover more than 65,000 veterans. This collection can include death dates, dependent children, or maiden name of the widow.ONLINE at fold3.com ($).

Numbered Record Books, NARA M853 series, FHL film 1025091 (1st of 41).Original war department records include orderly books, oaths of allegiance, lists of men and officers in state regiments, quartermaster accounts, correspondence, supply records and many more military records relating to the Revolutionary War and later compiled to comprise this collection.ONLINE at fold3.com ($).

Murtie June Clark, The Pension Roll of 1835 and originally Report from the Secretary of War in Obedience to Resolutions of the Senate of the 5th and 30th of June, 1834, and the 3rd of March, 1835, in Relation to the Pension Establishment of the United States (Washington, D.C., 1835; rep. Baltimore, 1968+), 3v. rep. in 4v.Digital version at Ancestry ($) (v. 1, v. 2, v. 3, and v. 4 and Google Books (v. 1, v. 2, and v. 3).WorldCat (Other Libraries) (1968 ed.); FHL book 973 M24ua v. # (1992 ed.).

Frank A. Gardner, “General John Thomas’ and Colonel John Bailey’s Regiments. Colonel John Bailey’s or General John Thomas’s Regiment April 19, 1775. General John Thomas’ 2nd Regiment, Provincial Army, April-July, 1775. Colonel John Bailey’s 35th Regiment, Army of the United Colonies, July-December, 1775” in The Massachusetts Magazine, 7 [1914]: 158-182.

Christine Rose, Military Pension Laws 1776-1858 from the Journals of the Continental Congress and the United States Statutes-at-Large (San Jose, Cal., 2001), xii, 32 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 973 M2rm.

The Shays' Rebellion, named after one of the leaders, Daniel Shays, was an armed uprising in western Massachusetts in 1786 and 1787. Court records and newspapers chronicle this event, but there were no military records.

George Richards Minot, The History of the Insurrections in Massachusetts, in the year MDCCLXXVI, and the Rebellion Consequent thereon (Boston, 1788; 2nd ed., 1810; rep. New York, 1970+), iv, 192 pp.Digital versions at Internet Archive (1810 ed.) and Google Books (1819 ed.).WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Carded Records Showing Military Service of Soldiers Who Fought in Volunteer Organizations During the War of 1812, 1899-1927, NARA ARC Identifier 654501."Receipts for Pay" rolls that are filed with the series "Muster Rolls of Volunteer Organizations During the War of 1812, 1812-1815" (ARC Identifier 654644) were not carded, and it is sometimes necessary to consult that series to obtain the complete service of an individual. Arranged by alphabetically by state, thereunder numerically by regiment, thereunder by name of commanding officer (chronologically thereunder for various periods of service), and thereunder alphabetically by name of soldier. Records for U.S. Volunteer Organizations, Indian Regiments, Prisoners of War, Spies, and Quartermaster Department are arranged similarly at the end of the state file.-----Indexes to the Carded Records of Soldiers Who Served in Volunteer Organizations During the War of 1812, NARA ARC Identifier 654644, M602 series, FHL film 882519 (1st of 234).ONLINE:FamilySearch.org (browsable alpha index); fold3.com (browsable by name to Miller); Ancestry ($) (indexed); Scanned on Internet Archive, but use Don Krieger's Guide for better access.

Jack Bilow, A War of 1812 Death Register "Whispers in the Dark"' (Plattsburgh, N.Y., 2011), 520 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Mrs. Henry James Carr [Deborah E. W. Carr], Index to certified copy of list of American prisoners of war, 1812-1815: as recorded in General entry book, Ottawa, Canada. List of American prisoners of war, who died at Princetown, Dartmoor, England, 1812-1815 (S.l., [1924]), 25 pp.Digital version at GenealogyCenter.info or download from freebookse.com.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL film 962585 Item 5 (with digital link).

George Coggeshall, History of the American privateers, and letters-of-marque, during our war with England in the years 1812, '13, and '14 (New York, 1856, 3rd ed., 1861), lv, 482 pp.Digital version at Internet Archive.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Walter Kendall Watkins, The defense of Boston in the War of 1812-15: with an appendix containing a bibliography of the War and a list of the officers of the Massachusetts Militia engaged in the defense ([Boston?], 1899; rep. North Clarendon, Vt., 1990), 42 pp.No digital version found.WorldCat (Other Libraries); FHL book 974.461 M2w (1990 ed.).

Much work has gone into this section to create a first-class guide to Civil War resources relating to Massachusetts. Areas to improve are to add the regimental histories in the tables below under history and to cull out all relevant material from the National Archives holdings as has been done with the previous wars.

Federal Records:

The following are national records where information regarding Massachusetts soldiers and sailors may be found. This list was not compared to or include records found at the National Archives. It is only the list of ONLINE records from FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, and fold3.com.

A list of the soldiers, sailors, and marines of the war of the rebellion in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on May 1, 1905, by cities and towns, arranged alphabetically (Boston, 1907), 201 pp.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Phineas Camp Headley, Massachusetts in the Rebellion, a record of the historical position of the Commonwealth, and the services of the leading statesmen, the military, the colleges, and the people, in the Civil War of 1861-1865 (Boston, 1866), xii 688 pp.Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

The following are national records where information regarding Massachusetts soldiers and sailors may be found. This list was not compared to or include records found at the National Archives. It is only the list of ONLINE records from FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, and fold3.com.

General Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers who Served During the War with Spain, FamilySearch.org, the NARA series was NOT identified, browsable only in alphabetical order; Ancestry ($) (searchable), NARA M871 series.

The following are national records where information regarding Massachusetts soldiers and sailors may be found. This list was not compared to or include records found at the National Archives. It is only the list of ONLINE records from FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, and fold3.com.

David Allen Lambert, "World War I Resources at NEHGS - A Bibliography" online at AmericanAncestors.org ($).

Francis Andrew March, History of the World War: an authentic narrative of the World’s greatest war, including the treaty of peace and the League of Nation’s covenant (Philadelphia, 1919), 736 pp.Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

United States Bureau of Naval Personnel, Officers and enlisted personnel of the United States Naval Services who died during the World War (Washington, D.C., 1920; rep. Fairfield, Ca., 1989), 812 pp.No digital version found.WorldCat (Other Libraries) or WorldCat (Other Libraries) (reprint); Not at FHL.

The following are national records where information regarding Massachusetts soldiers and sailors may be found. This list was not compared to or include records found at the National Archives. It is only the list of ONLINE records from FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, and fold3.com.

Selective Service System registration cards [World War II] : fourth registration, 1942, FHL film 2371930 (1st of 166).Note: This "Old Man's" draft was for those born between 28 Apr. 1877 and 16 Feb. 1897, being NARA M2090 series.ONLINE at FamilySearch.org and Ancestry ($).

Many of the personnel files for this conflict were lost in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center fire in St. Louis. For more general information about researching this war, see this wiki's Korean War page.

The following are national records where information regarding Massachusetts soldiers and sailors may be found. This list was not compared to or include records found at the National Archives. It is only the list of ONLINE records from FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, and fold3.com.

The following are national records where information regarding Massachusetts soldiers and sailors may be found. This list was not compared to or include records found at the National Archives. It is only the list of ONLINE records from FamilySearch.org, Ancestry.com, and fold3.com.

Military Fatal Casualties of the Vietnam War for Massachusetts, download pdf file here.

Military Personnel who Died During the Vietnam War, 1956-2003, at FamilySearch.org.

Records on Military Personnel Who Died, Were Missing in Action or Prisoners of War as a Result of the Vietnam War, documenting the period 8 June 1956 - 21 Jan. 1998, search online database and Ancestry ($).

Immigration

There are many types of records to help researchers with a better understanding of their immigrant's arrival to the United States. Presented here are the two main groups: passenger lists and naturalization records. Other records would include passports, border crossings, and special collections. Each section has a specific bibliography and a general list is found from the links above.

Passenger Lists

Immigration records, i.e. passenger lists, started in the modern sense by the Commonwealth in 1848, though customs manifest records survive back to 1820 for Boston. Federal law required manifests in 1883 and took over the creation of these records in 1891. The earlier original records are at the Massachusetts Archives and the post-1890 record with the National Archives and Records Administration. The contact information for both archives is found below.

These passenger lists get more detailed as time goes on. The earliest records include the name of the vessel, the Master of the vessel, embarkation port, arrival port, arrival date, names of passengers (their age, sex, occupation, country of origin). More details such as a contact/nearest relative at home, who they are coming to see in the U.S., and other such information.

It was often cheaper to go to Canada first and then continue on to the United States. Between 1 Aug. 1891 and 30 Apr. 1904, records of immigrants traveling from or via Halifax, St. John, and Yarmouth to Boston were filed at Boston. Between 1 May 1904 and 30 June 1929, these records were examined in Canada and not examined in Boston, so their records were filed with the Canadian Border Arrival Records (St. Albans records, NARA publications M1461, M1463, M1464).

NOTE: NARA is used below to mean the National Archives and Records Administration.

Records Relating to Passengers [Boston District], 1820-1891, NARA RG 36 NC-154 Inv. 511A (copies or abstracts only).Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Boston, 1820–1891: with index 1848–1891, FHL film 205656 (first of 397 films).Note: There are gaps in the records from 1855-1856, and between 31 Mar. 1874 to April 1883. The Massachusetts Archives records below do not have the second gap of nine years.

Passenger and Crew Manifests of Airplanes Departing from Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, 1 May 1948-31 May 1955, NARA HMS P455.

Fall River

[Fall River District] Passenger Lists, June 1834-Nov. 1855, NARA no number.Note: There are no records for the period October 1836 to June 1838, October 1838 to July 1840, and November 1847 to September 1855.

[Fall River District] List of Passengers Arriving from Foreign Countries and Returns of the Agent of the Marine Hospital, Apr. 1862-Dec. 1865, NARA no number.

The first uniform laws to govern the naturalization process were enacted in 1790. The purpose was to give rights to the foreign-born man (and woman after 1922) as if he was a native-born man. Depending on the period, this would include owning land and voting. Any court in the land could naturalize a man, but all that was consolidated under a federal system in 1906. The declaration of intent, with some exceptions, was the first step in the process (sometimes called first papers). This often was files within the first couple years of residency. The second and third steps were to petition for citizenship and to receive a certificate of citizenship from the court petitioned. This could be filed as soon as one to three years after the declaration, though it may not be in the same court or state as the declaration. These were sometimes called the final or second papers). This guide is to the records covering the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is broken down into those records held by the federal government and those held by the state. Index cards usually include the name of the immigrant, age, birth date, place and date of certificate of admission, petition number, and occasionally the spouse's name. Read the Naturalization and Citizenship section for the United States to learn more about the whole process.

The information regarding the state naturalization records comes from a flyer created in 2008 and an inventory conducted by the author in 2012 for microfilms. The "Judicial Archives" in the state table is the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Archives located in Boston. Note that some material may be stored off-site, so call in advance to schedule an appointment. The location of "Mass. Arch. RR" is the Massachusetts Archives Reading Room located in the same building.

Frank G. Franklin, The Legislative History of Naturalization in the United States from the Revolutionary War to 1861 (PhD Thesis, 1900; Chicago, 1906; rep. New York, 1969+), ix, 308 pp.Digital version at Internet Archive and Google Books.WorldCat (Other Libraries); Not at FHL.

Other Records

St. Albans Border Crossings, 1895-1954 [from Canada], Ancestry ($).If the ship's name and date of sail are known, use Don Krieger's Passenger List Guide for these records which link to the scanned NARA microfilm on Internet Archive.

Charles Edward Banks, The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers, who came to Plymouth on the "Mayflower" in 1620, the "Fortune" in 1621, and the "Anne" and the "Little James" in 1623 (New York, 1929; rep. many times), xi, 187 pp.Digital version at Ancestry ($).WorldCat (Other Libraries) (1962 ed.); FHL book 974 W2be.

Charles Edward Banks, The Planters of the Commonwealth; a study of the emigrants and emigration in colonial times: to which are added lists of passengers to Boston and to the Bay Colony; the ships which brought them; their English homes, and the places of their settlement in Massachusetts, 1620-1640 (Boston, 1930; rep. many times), xii, 231 pp.Digital version at Ancestry ($).WorldCat (Other Libraries) (1967 ed.); FHL book 974 W2bf.

John Camden Hotten, The Original Lists of Persons of Quality: Emigrants, etc., Who Went from Great Britain to the American Plantations, 1600-1700 (London, 1874; rep. New York, 1931+), xxxvi, 580 pp.Digital version at Ancestry ($).WorldCat (Other Libraries) (1962 ed.); FHL book 973 W2hot (many editions).

Newspapers

Newspapers were first published in Massachusetts in 1690. The Commonwealth has a rich history documented within these pages. Most all libraries have copies of their local newspapers and research / university libraries include more. There are two libraries whose collection rivals all others:

American Antiquarian Society, Worcester (see details below under Libraries), collects all things in print before 1876. They hold the largest single collection of original newspapers in the country.

Boston Public Library, Boston (see details below under Libraries), is the repository for Massachusetts part of the national effort to microfilm all known existing copies of newspapers called the Massachusetts Newspaper Program. For their holdings, see the online guide for newspapers.

Massachusetts Repositories

Archives

The Archives holds the official records created by all parts of state government from 1629 to the present. The earliest material is found in the Massachusetts Archives Collection. Common resources for genealogists and historians detailed in their online guide are state vital records (starting in 1841), passenger lists, census, military records, the Suffolk Files, naturalizations, divorces, probate, name changes, adoptions, Suffolk Deeds, and many other records.-----The Massachusetts Archives Collection contains 328 volumes about early Massachusetts history (1629-1799). It is also called the Felt Collection. Rev. Joseph Felt organized most of the collection in the 1830s; the last third was added in the late nineteenth century. Most of the collection is available on microfilm.

The Judicial Archives offices are in downtown Boston, but their holdings are in shared space at the State Archives at 220 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, and several off-site storage facilities. The Archives contains the pre-1860 records of the predecessor courts of the Superior Court (Court of General Sessions of the Peace and Inferior Court of Common Pleas) for 9 counties. Other records in the Judicial Archives include Supreme Judicial Court and Superior Court of Judicature; predominantly pre-1900 probate records of Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Plymouth, and Worcester counties; a limited number of County Court records; records of some Justices of the Peace, naturalization records and records of a small number of special courts. Probate, naturalization and divorce records are especially useful for those doing genealogical research.

This branch of the National Archives serves Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The paper records of this branch are extensive and listed in detail on their online guide to holdings. The major group researchers use is the records of the district and circuit courts. These courts had jurisdiction over naturalization, bankruptcy, civil (law, equity, and admiralty), and criminal cases. The records of the immigration and naturalization service (INS) hold the "dexigraph" copies of naturalization declarations, petitions, and other documents dated 1787-1906, from Federal, State, and local courts in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. An accompanying card index covers all six New England States, 1787-1906 (Connecticut courts, 1787-1940). Related material on passenger lists and Canadian border crossings are held here.

This archive was established in 1995 and documents the Massachusetts National Guard organized in 1636 and the archives of the Office of the Adjutant General that includes Massachusetts military records from 1775 to 1940. Researchers should call at least one day in advance for a free appointment.

Libraries and Societies

An academic library with wide reference collection. Their strength is in the microfilm holdings that include the Mass. Archives Collection, some probate and town records from Franklin, Hampshire, and Suffolk counties, and special focus on the Conn. River Valley towns. Their online catalog includes the five area colleges. Check their online guide to genealogy first.

This is the largest research library on Cape Cod. It has an extensive Mass. reference collection with many manuscripts and original material for Barnstable County including a collection of pre-fire (i.e. 1827) deeds. Their online catalog is part of a network on the Cape. Finding aids are available for most archival collections.

This library specifically does not try to duplicate the collections of the NEHGS (below), but has many things useful when dealing with probelmatic research. This is the oldest historical society in the nation and thus has extensive and broad manuscript holdings. Their holdings are in their online catalog Abigail.

This is the oldest genealogical library in the country. Its print and manuscript collections are legendary. Patrons have access to many online subscription and society-produced databases (available to members only). The focus is New England (vital records to at least 1900 and probates for most of the six states), New York, Quebec, and the Maritimes. They feature a large city directory collection, the most extensive Quebec collection in one location, and a manuscripts collection that occupies one entire floor. The online catalog has all the print collection and a large majority of the manuscript collection. This is a loan center for FHL microfilm.

The library is the source for any government publication, but has many state and local history resources that include city directories, town histories, tax valuations, maps, newspapers, and many more. It hosts the Zimmer Newspaper Indexes of current events from 1878 to 1937 from prominent Boston papers.

Good collection of published books for New England and an extensive holding of genealogical periodicals. They have the Mass. Vital Records to 1900. They have access to all the major genealogical databases online. The Mass. DAR Collection is no longer (2009) here.

This library focuses on southeastern Mass., bordering Rhode Island towns, and French-Canadian material. They hold the local newspapers, Mass. Vital Records to 1900, and immigration records that documents the large Portguese-Azores-Cape Verdean population. Their online catalog is part of a consortium.

The collection focuses on the Berkshires, but it houses important collections beyond this region such as the Barbour Collection of Connecticut Vital Records and the Vermont Vital Records card index to 1908. In Sept. 2012, it received the 71,000 microfilm collection of the National Archives and Records Administration branch in Pittsfield and its computers.

This is the premier repository for Essex County research. The have large print and manuscript collections focused on pre-1860 material. This is the facility for government records on Essex County including the original court records, customhouse records, maritime records, and (on microfilm) probate records. The paper catalog is in process of conversion to their online catalog.

The holdings of the Conn. River Valley focus on Springfield, but include a large French-Canadian collection, Mass. Vital Records to 1905, large microfilm collection, and an extensive manuscript collection.

The "Old Colony" refers to Plymouth Colony, the focus of their collection that is now further refined to the Taunton area. It has a good local print collection and manuscripts that include some local churches. A general guide to their holdings is online.

This is the largest collection of U.S. printed material to 1876 in the United States. It has extensive newspaper and manuscripts holdings and a strong genealogical collection. A detailed guide to the collection by subject is available online. Their catalog is online, but see the caveat.